Women blame continued violence against females on culture of silence

– Condemns rape, killing of Omozuwa in Benin City

A non-governmental organisation, Women Supporting Women Network (WSWN) has declared that gender-based violence has been prevalent in the country due to women’s culture of silence.

While reacting to the recent rape and killing of 23-year-old Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, a 100 Level Microbiology student of the University of Benin in a Church in Benin City, Edo State, Founder of the Network, Mrs. Toyin Omozuwa, said the dastardly act as a reminder of the menace women and girls face in Nigeria daily.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, she noted that one in three women encounter sexual violence in their lifetime and that yearly million women and children were sexually abused in Nigeria and globally.

She added that the act when committed results in other damaging physical and emotional effects, including depression, suicide, post-traumatic stress disorder, reproductive health issues, exposure to sexually transmitted infections, HIV and death.

Omozuwa, however, urged government at all levels to put in place mechanisms to support victims and survivors of gender-based violence through the establishment of more centres.

“No woman or girl should suffer any kind of violence. We owe it to the women and girls of this country to ensure that they are protected and when their rights and dignity are violated, they should get instant and unhindered justice.

“This menace is destroying many women and girls and reinforcing the culture of silence that must be broken. The culture of silence has made it difficult to end violence against them. Survivors need a good support system to enable them to speak out.

“Until we collectively shift focus from blaming and judging survivors towards fixing what is broken, women and girls will continue to die at alarming rates,” she stated.

She also admonished Nigerians to use the Sex Offenders Register that was launched in November 2019 by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to serve as a template for keeping records of all sexual abuses across the country and apprehend offenders.

“It is hoped that there will be adherence to rules of the sex offenses register and the register will go a long way in exposing perpetrators, most of whom were usually not brought to justice and education is key to ending gender-based violence in the country.

“As part of its commitment to end gender-based violence in Nigeria, WSWN will continue to educate members of the public on the culture of violence and collaborate with security agencies, policymakers, corporate organisations, NGOs, government agencies and the media to end the menace,” she stressed.